St. Abbs Cottage, self catering in Belford, Northu

Belford is the ideal location for a range of activities, within easy reach of a host of beautiful and interesting places to visit. The Scottish Border towns of Coldstream, Kelso, Melrose, Lauder and Jedburgh will prove a rich hunting ground for anyone with a taste for history and an eye for spectacular scenery – Thirlestane Castle, Mellerstain House, Floors Castle, Abbotsford and the Mary, Queen of Scots’ House are just a few of the places of interest to be found in this region.
To the east of Belford lies the coast, with Bamburgh and its stunning beaches only 5 miles away, Seahouses and its picturesque harbour just 8 miles away, and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne only 8 miles north up the A1. The charm of Bamburgh is unequalled, and a visit to the castle is recommended. The Grace Darling Museum has now been extensively refurbished and gives a unique insight into the sadly short life of this local heroine whose tomb is in the Churchyard. The beautiful church of St. Aidan’s dates from 635 AD, and contains a magnificent reredos in Caen stone. There is also an effigy of Grace Darling. Once you’ve wandered around the village, had a stroll on the beach, you may want to head for Carters’ Butchers, home of the world-famous Bamburgh banger, a truly regal sausage! From Seahouses you can take a boat trip out to the Farne Islands, home to colonies of nesting puffins and other seabirds in the spring, or if you head north you can reach the Holy Island of Lindisfarne via the causeway, at low tide. The Lindisfarne Nature Reserve is home to a variety of flora and fauna, and the reward for a walk out to Ross Sands is a stretch of totally unspoilt beach, densely unpopulated, and the perfect place to sit and watch the gannets diving. Budle Bay is another place worth visiting if you are a keen bird-watcher.
To the west of Belford you’re heading into the hills – Wooler, only 8 miles away, is known as the “Gateway to the Cheviots”, situated at the edge of the Northumberland National Park. There are too many glorious channels of exploration to mention individually here, but the Ingram Valley, College Valley and Happy Valley are all magnificent places to head for with a picnic. Over at Kirk Yetholm you’ll find the beginning (or the end) of the Pennine Way, while at Milfield you are invited to head off on the Maelmin Trail and discover the eight henges, believed to date back over 4,000 years, of the Till Valley.
Belford is almost exactly half-way between Berwick upon Tweed, and Alnwick. Berwick, on the north bank of the River Tweed, changed hands between the English and Scots thirteen times in just over 300 years. The ramparts, built on the orders of Queen Elizabeth, were built to withstand attacks from the Scots, and at £128,000 cost more than the defence against the Spanish Armada. A walk around the Walls will take about half an hour or so, and offers views across the North Sea and up the River Tweed. Berwick is also home to what are reputedly the first purpose-built barracks in the UK which now house the Museum of the Kings Own Scottish Border Regiment, a permanent display “By Beat of Drum” illustrating the life of a soldier in the 1700s, and a small part of the Burrell Collection. Holy Trinity Church was one of only two churches built during the time of the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, and L.S. Lowry immortalised the Sally Port, Dewar’s Lane and Bridge End, among others.
Alnwick, to the south, boasts the superbly impressive Alnwick Castle, with its miniature figures set in stone upon the ramparts. Scenes for the Harry Potter films were made here. The Alnwick Garden is a recently created horticulturalist’s delight with rose bowers, water features, and the Poison Garden among its many attractions. Or if you are ready for a couple of quiet hours just to sit and browse, visit Barter Books, one of the largest second hand bookshops in the country, located in the old Station buildings.
This region has a wealth of things to offer the visitor – the country houses of Paxton, Manderston, Wallington, and Cragside with their magnificent gardens and estates; castles at Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Alnwick, Chillingham, Floors, and Thirlestane to name but a few; the Northumberland National Park, the Lindisfarne Nature Reserve, the Farne Islands and the Wild Cattle of Chillingham; and a wealth of activities to enjoy – cycling, diving, sea kayaking, golfing, horse riding, walking, bird watching, swimming, canoeing and fishing, to say nothing of wonderful local produce on offer in a host of venues - the White Swan at Warenford, the Blue Bell Hotel in Belford, the Queen Victoria in Bamburgh, the Tree House in Alnwick, and the Rob Roy in Berwick are just some of the great places to eat.